He's doing this because he believes in electric vehicles, wants to see more of them, and is disappointed that the big carmakers haven't made a serious attempt to build really great electric cars. So he's making it easier for them . . . It's also worth noting that Tesla's know-how will have other important applications, including aircraft design.

One other thing that I haven't seen mentioned in any of the press coverage: he earns many, many style points for leading with an "All Your Base" reference.